Barcelona Signed Héctor Bellerín After 11 Years
The last minutes of the current summer transfer window was as enthralling as the closing minutes of an exciting football game.
Héctor Bellerín Rejoins Barcelona After 11 Years
There were many new deals, but the most eye-catching was the transfer of Héctor Bellerín, who will be donning the BARCA jersey after eleven years. Interestingly, Barcelona signed the deal for Bellerín just as the transfer window was about to close.
The Spanish right-back returned to Barcelona on a free transfer after Arsenal terminated his contract.
The final minute deal binds the Spanish international with BRCA till 2023 and includes a termination clause of €50 million. The Spaniard was initially trained at La Masía before accepting a deal with Arsenal.
He was only 16 when he left the Bulgarian club for Arsenal. The right-back joined the North Londoner club’s youth team, and after returning from Watford, where he spent the time on loan, Bellerín joined Arsenal’s first team. Since then, he has been playing in the Premier League, except for a loan time with Betis last year. Now, Bellerín will continue in LaLiga following a good season with the Andalusian club.
Héctor Bellerín Excited About Barcelona
While speaking about his move to Barcelona, the Spaniard appeared excited and stated, “It’s one of those things that you think one day you’ll get a chance to live. I’ve had possibilities in the past, but for various reasons, they never realized. This is one of the years I least expected to be here. I’m very excited to get back home.”
Moreover, he also added that his time in the Premier League and now in LaLiga will help him grow as a footballer and advance his footballing career. “I am very proud and grateful to everyone I have met these years that I have been away; they have made me the person I am today. A different individual returns with new goals but the same level of desire and fantasy of playing football.”
Xavi Hernandez was long looking for a pure right-back because he thought his team lacked one. With the addition of Héctor Bellerín, Xavi has finally acquired the missing piece and will surely be more confident with the team’s combination.
Bellerín Wished Move To Barcelona Or Atlético de Madrid
The Spanish right-back was already falling out of favor with Mikel Arteta before he began to explore possibilities in other clubs.
The Catalan was already considering the possibility of prematurely terminating his contract with the north London club and moving elsewhere where he would have more opportunities. Moreover, after signing Oleksandr Zinchenko, Arteta made it clear that Bellerín is not his first choice anymore.
In a statement, Arteta clarified, “We have to make some decisions about the players that we are not going to use constantly and be fair to them. That is a process that is going to start very soon.”
Mikel Arteta preferred Ben White or Takehiro Tomiyasu over Bellerín, which pushed him further to move away from Arsenal. He planned to move to Betis, where he already spent a year on loan and had an excellent run, managing five assists in 32 games and lifting the coveted Copa del Rey. He openly expressed to stay with the Verdiblanco team and was even ready to lower his salary. However, Betis showed no interest in signing the Spaniard.
He was then offered to FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, but Xavi was more interested in the right-back and signed him at the last minutes of the transfer window. Xavi has to release Sergio Dest to make room for the Spanish international at BARCA.
This is How the BARCA – Bellerín Deal Proceeded
Bellarin began his career at Barcelona before signing a deal with Arsenal. Interestingly, Bellerín wasn’t the first choice for Xavi, who tried without success to bring Juan Foyth from Villarreal under Barcelona’s fold. Desperate for a right-back, Xavi shifted his attention to Bellerín and reached an agreement with the defender after he terminated his contract with the English club.
The player will move to BARCA at zero cost; however, his contract includes a €50 million termination clause.
Bellerín secured a deal with Barcelona at the last moment of the transfer window. However, for the deal to happen, BARC has to send his full-back to AC Milan. The North American moved to AC Milan with a deal that included a purchase option.
Although Barcelona has not revealed the amount involved in the deal, sources indicate that the purchase option is around €20 million. Sergio Dest formerly played for Ajax Amsterdam before joining BARCA in 2020 for €21 million plus bonuses.
